Prosecutors, defense rest in drug-smuggling case

Published 6:00 pm, Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Both sides rested Thursday in the case of a soldier accused of directing a drug ring while stationed at a U.S. base in Colombia as part of an anti-drug force.

No defense witnesses were called for Staff Sgt. Daniel Rosas, who is facing charges of money laundering and using, importing and distributing cocaine for his role in the alleged drug ring.

Earlier, a prosecution witness said Rosas' fingerprints were found on a plastic bag of money linked to the operation.

Rosas, a member of the 204th Military Intelligence Battalion, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

On Wednesday, prosecutors said the bag of money was found when they intercepted an envelope Rosas allegedly sent from Colombia to another soldier in El Paso. The envelope contained a key and a letter with directions to a storage unit where the money was found.

The prosecution also called forensic experts, who said vials of white powder found in Rosas' quarters at the U.S. base in Colombia tested positive for cocaine, as did bricks of white powder that were seized on a plane that landed at Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso.

Rosas, former Spc. Francisco Rosa, former Staff Sgt. Kelvin G. Irizarry-Melendez and former Sgt. Victor J. Portales were arrested in March. Rosa, Irizarry-Melendez and Portales have pleaded guilty and were sentenced to several years in prison.

Rosas has confessed in a sworn statement to running the drug ring, but his lawyers have argued the statement should be thrown out because he was possibly tired when he spoke with investigators.